Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., has decided not to run for his old job as governor. / Evan Eile, USA TODAY

by Catalina Camia, USA TODAY

by Catalina Camia, USA TODAY

Democratic Sen. Mark Warner, one of his party's up-and-coming figures, decided Tuesday he will stay in Congress and not run for his old job as Virginia governor.

"I loved being governor but I have a different job now -- and it's here in the United States Senate," Warner said in a statement. The centrist Democrat said he wants to stay in Congress "to find common ground" with Republicans on the budget, education and immigration.

Warner, a popular governor from 2002 to 2006, was being urged to run again for the state chief executive's post and had said he would make his decision after the 2012 elections.

Under Virginia law, an incumbent governor cannot succeed himself and serve consecutive terms -- so Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell cannot run in 2013.

Warner's decision gives some breathing room to Terry McAuliffe, a former Democratic National Committee chairman and close friend of former president Bill Clinton. McAuliffe ran for governor in 2009 but lost the Democratic nomination to Creigh Deeds.

The Virginia governor's race -- one of two major political contests next year -- is expected to be a competitive one. Republican Ken Cuccinelli, the state's attorney general, has already declared his candidacy. Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling may also run for the GOP nomination.

Warner, a successful telecommunications executive before entering politics, has staked his claim in the Senate on finding a middle ground on fiscal issues. He was part of the so-called "Gang of Six," a bipartisan group of senators that tried to work out a deal on reducing the nation's debt.

In his statement, Warner expressed frustration at the ways of Washington and the inability to find bipartisan solutions. "I have to admit, it's been tougher than I expected," he said. "But I've tried to keep at it."

Warner has seen his stock rise since his days in Richmond. He was widely expected to run for president in 2008, and opted against it for family reasons. Warner is often mentioned as a possible White House candidate in 2016.